


Is It For Real This Time

by orphan_account



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Adoption, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Post canon, married Patater, mentions of failed adoption, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8393029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They've been waiting a long time for this call, and they can't help but be afraid it's too good to be true.  Kent Parson and Alexei Mashkov adopt.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've done Zimbits Parents so time for some Patater parents :D

I’ve done zimbits parents but not patater parents, so have a little fic about them adopting. (warnings for discussion about a previous adoption falling through)

***

Exactly six months, four days, and nine hours after Alexei “Tater” Mashkov retired due to an injury, he got the call. 

He was on the couch, leg up on the coffee table, ice on his knee. He was watching Bake Off under orders from Kent to tivo it so he could catch up, and was half asleep when the buzzing began.

It was way too early for it to be Kent. He was playing a home game, but Alexei had decided to skip it as his knee had been playing up all day. He stared at the unfamiliar number, hesitated, then answered.

“...six days old, and ready for a home.” Most of what Alexei caught had been a faint buzzing from shock because they’d been on a waiting list for an infant for a really long time.

“Sorry,” Alexei said. “Sorry I...you can repeat? Slower?”

Their case worker had a smile in her voice. “Of course. I just got a call about an infant. It’s a special needs case, considered failure to thrive. It would be fostering with the potential for adoption. We can go over the details when you get to my office to sign everything.”

“You... say. How old?” Alexei managed.

“Six days,” she replied. “So what do you...”

“Yes,” Alexei gasped. “Da. Yes. I...I’m call Kent now. No, he’s at game. I drive there. We pick baby up tonight or...?”

“The baby’s in the hospital still and is due to be released in a few weeks,” she said patiently as Alexei scrambled up, his fingers shaking as they reached for his knee brace. “Tomorrow you can come to my office and we’ll sort the paperwork, then you can go meet him.”

Alexei’s throat was too tight and he cleared it. “Yes, okay. We will be there. Thank you.”

“See you soon.”

The line went dead and he gave himself a minute and thirty seconds to regain his composure before he scrambled for his keys and hurtled toward the arena.

There was just a slight row with the parking attendant because Kent had the parking pass--then another with the security officer at the player’s entrance until they radioed the coach who yelled into the radio, “For fuck’s sake that’s Mashkov, let him in!”

Then Alexei was running as fast as his leg could carry him down the long hallway, past the locker rooms, bursting into the main arena. He hobbled toward the players bench, leaning against the wall, and his eyes scanned the players on the ice.

Kent was focused, determined, a frown on his face as he went for the goal. It missed, and his mouth moved in a cacophony of near-silent swears. Then two of the players started a fight and Alexei said a prayer to G-d because Kent looked over and saw him.

His face fell with worry, and he skated over as fast as he could as Alexei leant over the wall. “Babe hey,” Kent said as Alexei gathered him as close as he could manage. “Babe, what’s wrong what...”

“They call,” Alexei said, his head spinning. “There’s...there is baby, Kenny. Waiting for us. Six day old baby.”

Kent pulled back just far enough to stare at Alexei’s face. “Fuck.”

Alexei let out a tense laugh. “We can see tomorrow. She call, Kenny. We have baby.”

Kent, not giving much of a shit if someone was watching, grabbed Alexei by the side of the face, knocked his own helmet off, and kissed him. He was aware of a crowd reaction. Kent and Tater were out, but usually avoided massive public displays of affection.

But today. Today was different.

When Alexei pulled back, Kent’s eye were wide and wet. “Tomorrow?” Kent whispered.

Alexei nodded, then shoved at Kent. He was being called back to the game, and Alexei stumbled over to a seat. A few minutes passed before he was joined on the bench, looking over and he smiled seeing Swoops there.

“That was some kiss. You’re already married so it wasn’t a proposal.” He waggled his brows and Alexei laughed.

“Is good news,” was all he said. He was too afraid to say much more, too afraid if he said it aloud, it would be taken away. It was not an unfounded fear. They’d gotten a baby like this once before. For six weeks. Six, endless weeks of nighttime feedings and nappy changes and pacing the floor with two am colic. Then the parents took the baby back, and it all came crashing down.

It was the risk they knew they were taking. And Alexei wondered if he would ever feel like someone couldn’t just come along—even years down the road—and take their child from them.

Looking up at the game, he watched Kent play more fiercely than before. Goal after goal, check after check. The Aces won 7-2, and when it was over, Kent collapsed in his arms and let himself just feel before peeling himself away to change and shower.

Neither of them mentioned it, but the team could tell something had changed. Alexei was emboldened by the smiles they got leaving the rink.

 

***

 

With trembling hands, Alexei reached into the small, plastic cot. The baby was so small. He swore he’d never seen an infant this small before. All the babies in his family were always born so big—pink and chubby with round cheeks. This child could fit in the palm of his hand—barely weighing enough to be allowed to be discharged, which wouldn’t happen for a few weeks. The baby was malnourished and had traces of drugs in his system. So he’s on medication, and a feeding line through his nose, and he cries the entire time he and Kent are there.

Alexei doesn’t care, of course. How can he? How can he when he’s looking down into the face of their son. “We should take photo.”

Nodding, Kent reached into the cot and cradled the baby to his chest. Even in Kent’s smaller arms, he looked impossibly small, like a child’s doll. But Alexei curled one arm round Kent’s waist and tugged him close and snapped the photo.

“Are you going to post it?” Kent asked, stroking a knuckle down the baby’s cheek as he rocked side to side. The baby remained asleep, blessedly, cradled by one of his dads.

“I think,” Alexei said very slowly, “I wait until…” Unable to finish his sentence, he shrugged.

Kent nodded though, understanding. Neither of them could take their eyes off the baby, but neither of them were able to really feel attached. The hope was too strong, and the risk too great.

It took three weeks, but eventually the hospital called and after shopping for half a day, and spending the other half laughing and cussing out impossible to put together IKEA furniture for the nursery, they’re allowed to take him home.

Both of them spent half an hour panicking about whether or not they got the infant seat installed properly—luckily there was a nurse to check it and declare it perfectly safe. The baby slumbered, strapped to the seat, then swaddled on top of the safety belts. He was going home with an oxygen alert machine which would wake Kent and Alexei up if he stopped breathing.

Neither of them wanted to think about that, but in the end they were grateful they had something like it.

As they stepped inside the apartment, it suddenly felt too quiet. They felt too alone. “Can we do this?” Kent whispered.

Alexei took the carrier and set it down at Kent’s feet, then took Kent’s face between his large hands. “We can do this. We do it before, we do it again.”

They take the baby out of the carrier and to the little bassinet they had set up by the sofa. Swaddled tight like a burrito, they baby continued to sleep, and they continued to stare at him. “He needs a name,” Kent whispered.

Alexei sighed, nodding. “You want we give him Russian name or American?”

Kent glanced up over his shoulder. “I chose last time. I…I think you should.”

Alexei tightened his grip on Kent, pressing a kiss as though it could chase away the old, painful memory of loss, and the fear of it happening again. “I’m…I’m always like name Ivan.”

Kent looked at the baby once more, trying it out a few times. “What’s the short name for it?”

“Vanya,” Alexei said, smiling around it. “Nickname Vanyechka.”

Kent tries it a few more times until he’s satisfied. “Ivan Alexeyevich Parson.”

Alexei felt a thrill running up his spine, and he tightened his grip on Kent, unable to stop pressing kisses to the side of his head. “Is good name, strong. For our strong boy.”

“I think it’s gonna happen this time,” Kent whispered.

Both of them were itching to call people, to celebrate and share their joy, but the fear was too real still. People had celebrated last time, and then it had all been ripped away and well… Alexei wasn’t sure he could take the pain again. Or the look in people’s eyes because he’d know what they were all thinking. How long until they got the call this time?

 

*** 

 

It’s a summer day, hot, and dry, Alexei’s least favourite, when they step out of the courthouse with their son in their arms, and their documents tucked inside a brief case. Ivan is theirs. Four months old, thriving, healthy, gorgeous, and theirs.

Jack and Bitty stand five feet away snapping photos, and Swoops is throwing confetti which he’ll get yelled at by a security guard over.

They have a party. They invite everyone. Ivan’s name is displayed on a banner. He cries a lot, but Bitty can get him to smile, and at one point Kent sees Jack cradling him and he’s got a look on his face like maybe he might want to do something like this.

Kent can’t help himself. “Fatherhood would look damn good on you, Zimms. In case you were wondering.”

He half expects Jack to shut down, or chirp him. Instead he gets a serene smile as he rocks the baby. “You know, I think you might be right, Kenny. Did wonders for you.”

Kent glances back at his husband who’s telling some long-winded story with a lot of arm waves and gestures and he’s laughing and Kent wonders how he got so fucking lucky. He doesn’t question it too much, though. No point.

 

*** 

 

“Daddy.”

Turning at the sound of the small voice, Kent raises a brow at the four year old struggling to get into the long, hooded robe. His yellow and black tie sat askew on his neck, his white shirt unbuttoned slightly because Kent had heard him complaining about it choking him.

He’s wearing his light-up, Captain America trainers, which clash with the whole Hogwarts motif, but Kent wasn’t about to argue with the stubborn boy.

A second later, Alexei wanders into the room with a wand in each hand, and one tucked behind his ear. He’s got his own Ravenclaw tie on, done just so, and his robes buttoned at the collar. Taking one look at Kent, he rolls his eyes. “Such a mess.”

Strolling over, he tugs on Kent’s undone green and black Slytherin tie. “What?” Kent defends.

“You not ready for your lessons Mr Parson.”

Vanya giggles, grabbing his wand from his papa. “Yeah. Alohomora!”

“I don’t think that’s the right spell, kid,” Kent admonishes before turning to Alexei. “Will you?”

“Always make me do everything,” Alexei grumbles, but grabs his tie and begins to do it up. “Put on robes, tie tie, find shoes. Is like I am house elf!”

“Papa you could be but Hear-mony freed you so you could ummmm be a Ravenclaw House Elf okay?”

Alexei shrugs. “See what you do, Kenny. Now I am Ravenclaw House Elf.”

Kent snorts. “You said it, not me, babe.” Shrugging his robe on over his shoulder, he sighs. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into giving my press conference in Hogwarts robes.”

“Is not our fault you have press conference on Halloween,” Alexei reminds him.

Vanya looks between them, then pouts out his bottom lip. “But we don’t has any Gryffindors. Pea-cos we just have two. Where’s uncle Zimmy. He could be a Gryffindor.”

“He and uncle Bits are in Montreal this week,” Kent says, ruffling his boy’s hair. “Go get your candy bucket, okay?”

“Yeah I could get it!” His little feet tap hard on their wood floors as he bursts out of the room.

Taking the moment alone, Kent drags Alexei in by the tie and goes on his toes to kiss him long and slow. “You look sexy.”

Grabbing him by the hips, Alexei smirks into the kiss. “Sexy wizard. Like Viktor Krum.”

“He’s Bulgarian,” Kent reminds him, then sighs. “I know way too fucking much about these damn books. God help me.”

“I think you are meaning Merlin help you,” Alexei corrects with a wink, then kisses Kent before he can be chirped. “Come on, you almost late to press conference and I think Vanyechka not want to wait for candy too long.”

Rolling his eyes, Kent allows himself to be dragged to the door, then out of it. They are definitely going to be late, because Ivan insists on going to every door on the way down to the lobby. But eventually they arrive for the conference and Kent takes his seat behind the mic at the table.

Alexei and Ivan stand by the door, hidden from the camera view, but Kent can’t help a smile as they grin at him. The first question out of the reporter’s mouth is, “Why are you dressed up like that?”

It’s a damn easy answer. “Because it’s Halloween and my husband and son wanted to go as Hogwarts students. So here we are. We’re going trick or treating after this, and then I’m going to eat all the twix out of the candy bag.” With the press laughing, Kent can barely hear the indignant, “Hey!” from his son’s mouth, and he catches Ivan’s eye before winking.

His grin reminds him that this is all, so so worth it.


End file.
